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The Future of Our Biodiversity

Photo: Rahmadi

Emil Salim, a leading biodiversity figure in Indonesia says that the country has the richest levels of biodiversity behind Brazil and the world’s future biodiversity depends on Indonesia protecting theirs.

The world’s population is currently estimated to be around 7 bilion people, and this is expected to rise to 8 bilion in 2100. But the size of the Earth isn’t increasing at the same time, and neither is the size of Indonesia, a country that consists of approximately 17,000 islands.

So, what should we do to protect our biodiversity for the future? Preserving it needs to be a priority as the lives of future generations depend on it.

We have to use our common sense, science, and forward planning in order to manage biodiversity. As a result of a growing population the amount of land available for agriculture has diminsihed, a problem that could be overcome through the creation of newagricultural technologies and techniques. We can explore the possibility of using the sea for as an alternative source of energy. We can also replace rice, as our staple food with corn and maize. If we are able to do all of these things we will nothave to worry aboutfood shortagesinthe future.

Our understanding of the importance of preserving biodiversity must also be improved. The publicshould be made awarethat our natural resources are diminishing and will not continue to meet our needs forever. This needs to become a priority for government, businesses and the general public.

Photo: Rahmadi

Biodiversityis anaturalresourcethatplays an important roleas the backbone oflifeon earth. Itis closely related toenvironmental conditionsonland and in the sea, where itgrowsanddevelops. Protecting biodiversity on land and in our oceans is crucial in order to sustain Indonesia’s population into the future.*